Unless you are a political junkie, you may not know the name Erick Erickson. But my guess is that over time most people will come to know not only his name but what he symbolizes -- the next generation of conservative leadership in America. And what a direction that could prove to be.

I've had the opportunity over the years to know and observe some pretty obscure names that ended up making their way to the top of politics. That includes a once-unknown congressman named Newt Gingrich.

Erickson, who runs one of the most influential conservative blogs in America, RedState, has been on my radar screen for more than a year. With his recent appearance on TV's popular "Colbert Report," Erickson is emerging from the blogosphere and into a whole new world of prominence.

Having done "funny" political shows like Bill Maher's, I have a sense of the challenge it is for a conservative to match wits with talented pros that are almost certainly on the political left. It isn't easy. But Erickson did just that, despite Colbert's efforts to paint him in an unfavorable light by citing some of the blogmaster's more controversial web postings.

The point is that just a few years ago, blogs were thought of as a medium for political hacks and wackos to post whatever railings or other blather they felt like. Now blogs have morphed into a respected and influential way for those with political interests to both test and change the temperature of the political waters.

Conservatives already have established websites for their opinions, such as Townhall and Human Events, plus other sites that contain news and opinion, such as Newsmax. And there are plenty of liberal sites, such as the combination of news and opinion offered by the likes of The Huffington Post and Daily Kos.

Erickson was a practicing attorney when he started RedState more or less as a part-time hobby, and the website he formulated is a bit different. There are no syndicated columns or names of veteran news journalists on RedState, or on a sister site he runs in his home state of Georgia. Instead, Erickson and a handpicked group of other regular bloggers post stories, observations and grapevine-variety news with lightening speed.

Occasionally, the posts might be speculative or only partially correct -- and once in a while even profane. But Erickson and his band of bloggers generally get the drift of where things are headed politically long before the established news organizations, which are largely bound by tradition to get hard-and-fast confirmations before publishing stories.

The impact that sites like RedState and people like Erickson will have on the next Republican presidential contest cannot be underestimated. It's true that much of what his websites cover might seem to be inside baseball and doesn't necessarily impact the broader public. (As a pollster, I can tell you that little of anything moves public opinion these days!) Yet the political players that help shape policy and the direction of the conservative movement follow his every word.

Erickson and his conservative brethren are the next generation of Republicans. Essentially, they want one thing: genuine Republicans as their candidates and elected officials. They are neither cowered by nor tolerant of the silk-stocking establishment GOP that says what conservative voters want to hear, only to join in on big government spending sprees once elected.

Erickson and his ilk want elected officials who aren't in it for the perks. They comprise a sophisticated new wave of Republicans that is replacing those of us who in 1980 were the ground troops in what became the Reagan Revolution and, by 1994, the operatives that helped Gingrich and his fellow Republicans take over the U.S. House.

Yes, these new "journalists" will likely have to be a bit more circumspect in what they write and how they express themselves. (Unfiltered words can get you in a libel suit quickly.) From what I've seen, though, Erickson is becoming increasingly savvy without losing the punch and the fire that makes his web creation so noteworthy.

My guess is that by the next presidential election, when conservatives, Republicans and Libertarians all check their usual well-established news and opinion sites every day (or every hour), they will have added to that list RedState and the opinions of Erick Erickson. He looks to be to be one of the next generation of true Republicans to whom the torch has been passed. Let's hope he uses that influence wisely and gets a very confused Republican Party turned around.

The point is that just a few years ago, blogs were thought of as a medium for political hacks and wackos to post whatever railings or other blather they felt like. Now blogs have morphed into a respected and influential way for those with political interests to both test and change the temperature of the political waters.

Interesting piece. As the main stream media continuously shuts out all conservative views, blogs will soar to prominance imo.

It won't be enough to have a great conservative blog. It won't be enough to put conservatives back in the driver's seat, either. What is needed to shape the next Congress, and more importantly, to save America's freedom, is that Conservatives need to formulate a new kind of plan. Most of us would agree: A) Reform Congress and Senate rules. We need to curtail privileges for elected leaders. No more writing their own salaries, no more keeping the millions in cash left over from their campaigns (a thinly disguised form of bribery if ever there was one),no lifetime pension plans,and no exemptions from the rules that apply to everybody else (such as health care). FEC must do their job, and not just help their preferred political party. (Not sure how to achieve this one.) Term limits. B) Balanced budget amendment. I would suggest the next conservative president impose an emergency balanced budget rule as an executive order (limited to the the first year) while insisting Congress must pass a permanent rule quickly. All “Stimulus” measures and other high dollar spending on hold on an emergent basis until the rules are rewritten. C) Stop giving away our country to illegal aliens and enemies! Close the blankety-blank border NOW. Stop allowing terrorists to recruit in America's prisons and schools, under “free speech” and “freedom of religion” cover. This is NOT a religion. It is a movement aimed to overthrow democracy and end human rights.

Blogs play an important role, but the problem is that the great divide is not closed by them. Liberals stick to theirs and conservatives to theirs. There is only a trickle of cross-communication. I want to suggest a moderated forum of some kind, where ad hominem attacks are not permitted at all, and a team of equally balanced reviewers from both sides vet statements on a given subject to hone a consensus statement. Either members of the panel or site members can submit a question for discussion, and then submissions are considered by the panel. Statements on the topic are submitted by any member, posted immediately as “not yet reviewed.” The panel undertakes review to determine if each statement (one statement of alleged “fact” per submission) is marked “true” or false” by panel members, and justification of their position is posted after the statement in question. Undoubtedly, one side or the other will dispute most of the statements coming from the other direction. These statements can be marked as “disputed.” Then, after adequate time for review is allowed, the facts that can be agreed upon are put together into a consensus statement. It would be nice to see that contributors whose submissions make it into “consensus” get some kind of recognition. I think if it could be made to work out, it would be the most talked-about idea on the Internet. Both political sides are forced to wrangle with the issues that can be factually established by the other side.

They can do us all a favor and remind the conservative public that the Left is and always has been a failure except for enriching themselves. But no doubt these bloggers will crave the respect of their leftist brethern and only quibble the details of the latest lefty proposal and forget about the decades of failure. Detroit is the Left, the Left is Detroit.

An unrestricted Internet, which allows for the free and open exchange of ideas is the greatest enemy of treasonous Marxist tyrants. That is the main reason the Democrats and this President in particular are determined to control and regulate it.

I hope bloggers from the Conserv side actually have an impact on the varied elections. But, note the evil clever Dems already are covering their butts in Conn. with Blumenthal now already killing poor Rob Simmons. That is too bad since the Pubs thought they had that one. Hopefully, Colo. will have a Pub, NV, ousts Reid, Del. elects Castle, Hoeven is elected in ND, and perhaps other seats the Dems do not think they will lose.

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